haesen



(No Model.) Y

M. A. HARSEN.

FLYING TARGET. N0. 3'74,96 1. Patented Dec. 20, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARION A. HARSEN, OF HANNA STATION, INDIANA, ASBIGNOR TO HIM- SELF, GEORGE IV. HARSEN, AND CHARLES N. JOINER, ALL OF SAME PLACE.

FLYING TARGET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 374,961, dated December 20, 1887.

Application filed September 24, 1887. Serial No.250,587. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it .may concern:

Be it known that I, MARION A. HARSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Hanna Station, in the county of La Porte and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Flying Targets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to flying targets.

My object is to produce a flying target of a simple, light, and cheap construction which will be practically indestructible, or which may be used over and over again, and which will at the same time indicate with certainty andin a plain and unmistakable manner whenever it is struck by even a single shot of a charge.

It is also my object to so construct the target that it shall have improved flying qualitics over those heretofore in use.

To this end my invention consists in a flying target constructed of sheet metal or other comparatively durable material (as contradistinguished from targets made of frangible material, like glass or clay, intended to be broken when struck) and made in two or more parts, which are secured together by a fastening of such a character that the fastening will be broken or severed if the target is struck at any part of its surface, and the parts of the target thus allowed to separate or to change their normal positions in relation to each other, so as to plainly and at once indicate when the target has been struck; The number of parts into which the target is thus divided may be varied. I prefer, however, to make it in but two parts. The target is preferably divided equally or into two parts of the same size and shape; but the parts may, however, be of unequal size and of different shapes without departing from the principle of my invention.

My improvement further consists in a disk orsaucer shaped metal target made in two parts secured together by a frangible or severable fastening consisting of a string or thread wound spirally over the rounding or spherical surface of the target, such surface being provided with projections for the thread or cord to fit against.

It further consists in a sheet-metal saucershaped target made in two or more parts secured together and furnished with a series of projections on its outer surface and a string fastening wound around said projections.

It further consists in providing the under face of a target with an inclined or beveled rim to facilitate its proper flight.

It further consists in connecting the parts of the target by a pivotal link on the under face thereof, which serves to connect the parts together when the string or frangible fastening is cut or broken, and thus prevent them from entirely separating and becoming lost.

It further consists in the novel devices and novel combinations of devices herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings I have shown my invention as applied to an oval, disk, or saucershaped target, and which I consider to be the best form of target now known to me for practicing my invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view, and Fig. 2 a bottom view, of a target embody ing my invention. Fig.3 is a cross-section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is -a view showing the two parts of the target separated. Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are enlarged detail sectional views taken on lines 5 5, 6 6, 7 7, and 8 8, respectively, of Figs. 1 and 2. I

In said drawings, A A represent the two parts of an oval or saucer shaped target, and B B are the two parts of an inwardly-inclined rim upon the under face of the target. The parts A A and B B are preferably made of sheet metal, such as tin or sheet-iron. They may, however, be made of other durable material.

The saucer-shaped disk A A is furnished with a flange, a, at its rim or outer edge, and the rim B B is furnished with a flange, b, folded over the flange a of. the disk A A, whereby the rim and disk are secured together. The division between the parts A A of the saucershaped disk is preferably a diametrical one through the disk, so that the two parts will both be of the same size and shape.

The saucershaped disk A A is furnished with a series of small projections, a a, upon or around which the string or thread or other severable or frangible fastening O is wound. These projections a should only project just enough above the surface ofthe disk to give a hearing for the thread or string. They may be readily formed by stamping or indenting the sheet metal, and it is preferable to simply indent the sheet metal without puncturing or rupturing it, so that the surface of the projections a upon which the string Obears may be smooth. This will enable the string to readily slip and loosen itself when it is cut or bio ken at any point. Another good way to form the projections a is by dropping small globules of solder upon the disk A A. The stringholding projections a arepreferably arranged upon the surface of the saucer-shaped disk A A in a continuous spiral row. The part-disk A is furnished with a string-holding projection, a near the center, to which one end of the string 0 is secured,and the part-disk Ais furnished with a similar string-holding lug or projection, a near its periphery,to which the opposite end of the string 0 is secured. These string-holding devices a" a preferably consist of little strips ofsheet metal soldered or fastened at one end to the disk, so that the end of the string may he slipped under the free end of the strip and held by wedging it between the fasteningstrip and the disk. Another good way to form these string-holding devices is simply to punch a small lip up from theinside of the disk. They may, however, be formed in any suitable manner. The partdisk A is furnished on its under side with one or more (preferably one) holding or registering springs or clamps, a, which project over the meeting line and bear against the under surface of the part-disk A, and the part-disk A is furnished with one or more (preferably two) holding or registering lugs or C1fll'lll)S,(t which project over the meeting line of the part-disks and bear against the under face of the part-disk A. The holding lugs or clamps a preferably consist of flat short narrow strips of sheet metal soldered at one end to the disk A, and the spring-clamp ais preferably made of similar material, but is slightly curved, so as to press like a spring at its end against the disk A; or it may be made of spring metal. The function of these, clamps orprojections a a is not only tokeep the two part-disks A A in place,so that they will properly register with each other and together form one smooth continuous disk, but these clamps also, by their spring action, serve to throw the part-disks A A apart the moment the fastening Ois severed or broken, and thus insures the separa tion of the parts A A, thereby clearly indicating when the target has been hit. The part A is further provided with registering or dowel pins a a near its periphery. These registering pins may be soldered to one part of the disk in the crevice between the disk A and its inwardly-projecting rim B, and the free end of the pin may fit in such crevice in the opposite part of the disk as a socket.

If the entire rim of the disk A A is wired or furnished with a strengthening or stiffening wire, as is customary in sheet-metal ware, one end of each of the semicircular stiffeningwires in one part-disk may project slightly and enter the opposite part disk, and thus serve as the dowel-pin.

The two parts of each target are made to fit and register together accurately, and to prevent these fitted parts from becoming permanently separated, and the consequent liability of two parts of different targets being after ward put together which might not accurately match each other, I permanently connect the two parts of each target together by a loose connecting-link, D, consisting, preferably, of a piece of fine wire-like broom-wire, for example-one end of which is secured in a hole, (I, in the part-rim B, and the other end of which is secured in a hole, (1, in the opposite part-rim, 13. about diametrically opposite. The holes (1 d are preferably formed near the meeting edges of the rims, and this link D is also made loose, so that it will have no tendency to hold the parts of the target together after the severable fastening O is parted.

The saucer-shaped target is a rotary one, or one which is given a whirling or rotary mo tion on its own axis when it is thrown from the trap, and this rotary motion of the target by its centrifugal action serves to cause the two parts of the targetto H y apart or separate from each other, so far as the link D will allow, the moment the fastening C is severed. The rotary motion of the target thus serves to sepa rate the two parts as well as the springclam p a".

By arranging the string-holding projections a spirally, as indicated, the .string will very readily slip and loosen itself when severed at any part of its length, and the whole front surface of the target is covered by several lines ofthe string, so that it is almost impossible for a single shot to strikethe target and cross its surface without striking and severing the string. As is well known, these saucer-shaped targets are usually, if not always, thrown in an upwardly-inclined or parabolic path, with its oval side up and its flat or under side lying aboutin the plane ofits path; and as the marks mans position is nsuall y some twenty or thirty yards to the rear of the trap it is only the front or oval side of the target which can ever or ordinarily can ever be struck by the shot, and the path of the shot is, for the same reason, generally but slightly inclined to the oval surface of the target, so that the shot will tend to glance along the surface of the target, and thus frequently a single shot may out two or more contiguous lines or rows of the spirally-wound string. Owing to this and t0 the slightly-hr clined or almost tangential path of the shot in respect to the oval surface of the target, I do not find it necessary in practice to give the spirally-wound fastening-string C more than III) ' serves to throw its two parts asunder.

four or five complete circles for a target four metal saucer-shaped targetAA, having spiral or five inches in diameter. It will be understood, however, that the string 0 may be wound around the target any desired number of times. It will also be understood that, owing to the oval form of the disk, some portion of its surface will be nearly always presented in an almost tangential position to the path of the shot, so that if the targetis hit by any considerable or usual portion of the charge of shot some of the shot will strike the target at a slight-angle, and thus be certain to sever the string 0, even though the string be wound around the target but a very few times.

The rim B B on the under or fiat surface of the. target may be given any desired inclination to the bottom of the target. I prefer, however, to make it about. as indicated in the drawings. Y

In use or operation the two parts of the target are placed together and so held against the action of the spring a while the string 0 is being wound spirally around the target on the projections a and its opposite end secured at a When this is done, the string or thread 0 will securely hold the parts of the target together and prevent the spring a from tipping them apart. tension of the string fastening and serves to keep it tau't, so that it can in no part slip off ofanyofthestring-holdingprojectionsa. The moment the string 0 is severed by being struck with a shot the spring a tends to tip or open apart the two parts of the target at ,the top thereof, so that the resistance offered by the air would throw the two parts of the target entirely apart, even if it had no rotary mo tion. The rotary motion of the target also The loose link 1) serves to keep the parts from becoming entirely disengaged or too widel y separated from each other.

I hereby disclaim the two-part target shown and described in the patent to Johnson, No. 210,856.

I claim 1. A two-part saucershaped metal target having a severable fastening securing the two parts thereof together, said fastening consist ing of a string wound spirally around the curved surface of the target, the curved or front surface of the target being covered with several lines of the string, so that the same will be severed in whatever part the surface of the target may be struck, substantially as specified.

2. A two-part saucer-shaped metal target having a severable string or thread fastening securing the two parts thereof together and covering the front or curved surface of the target in several lines, said target being provided with an inwardly-projecting rim, as B B, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with two-part sheet- The spring thus opposes the rows of string holding projections ct and holding-lugs c at for the ends of the string, of a string fastener, O, wound spirally upon said holding projections,substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with two-part sheetmetal saucer-shaped targetA A, having spiral rows of string holding projections a and holding devices a" a for the ends of the string, of a string fastener, G, wound spirally upon said holding projections, and a spring registering device, a", substantially as specified.

5. The combination, with two'part sheetmetal saucer-shaped targetA A, having spiral rows of string holding projections a and holding devices a a for the ends of the string, of a string fastener, O, wound spirally upon said holding projections, a spring registering device, (r, and registering strips a s, substantially as specified.

6. The combination, with twopart sheetmetal saucer-shaped target A A, having spiral rows of string holding projections a and holdingdevicesa a for the ends of the string, of a string fastener, G, wound spirally upon said holding projections, and registering pins a, substantially as specified.

7. The combination, with two-part sheetmetal saucer-shaped target A A, having spiral rows of string holding projections a and holding devicesa a for the ends of the string,

of a string fastener, O, wound spirally upon said holding project-ions, registering pins a", and fiat spring a, substantially as specified.

8. The combination, with two-part sheetmetal saucer-shaped target A A, having spiral rows of string-holding projections a and holding devices a a for the ends of the string,

of a string fastener, O, wound spirally upon said holding projections, and connecting-link D, substantially as specified.

9. The rotary two-part metal target having a severable string fastening connecting the parts thereof and cpvering its front or curved surface in several lines, substantially as specified.

10. The rotary twopart saucer -shaped sheet-metal target having a severable string fastening wound spirally around the same and covering its curved surface in several successive lines, substantially as specified.

11. The rotary two part saucer shaped sheet-metal target having registering pins or devices to make the two parts fit accurately together, and a severable string fastening wound spirally around the two parts thereof and covering its curved surface in several sue-- cessive lines, and provided with a rim, as B 13, substantially as specified.

MARION A. HAIR-SEN.

\Vitnesses:

CHARLES N. J OYNER, Anoi-nn Moons. 

